


a hop, skip, and a jump

by IronSwordStarShield (SweetFanfics)



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Realities, Alternate Universe - Gilmore Girls Setting, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Happy Ending, M/M, Memory Magic, Multiple Realities, Post-Canon Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2020-02-09 23:31:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18648331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetFanfics/pseuds/IronSwordStarShield
Summary: “Before I go, I was wondering if I could ask you some questions.”“About?” they ask they return the stone to its place.“Timelines. Alternate realities.”--Steve returns the stones to their rightful places in time, gets his dance with Peggy, and then embarks on a whole new search.





	a hop, skip, and a jump

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by this utterly gorgeous and heart breaking photoset: https://ironswordandstarshield.tumblr.com/post/184493484868/cath-avery-and-we-cant-belong-to-each-other

 

> Jump 0001

First step of his journey involves returning the Time stone to the Ancient one in New York, 2012. He chooses to land inside the house, figuring it’ll be safer.

 

He slips on the newly waxed floor and goes crashing into a giant gong.

 

The Ancient One sticks their head through a sparking portal. There’s an amused twist to their mouth when they say “I suppose Dr. Banner forgot to warn you about that.”

 

“He did,” Steve groans as he gets up to his feet. “Steve Rogers. I’m here to return your Time stone to you.”

 

They gesture for Steve to hop through. He takes a tentative step forward, peering into the portal, wondering what’s on the other side. In for a penny, Steve thinks as he steps through. He blinks at the skyline, looks back at the receding portal and wonders if this is something all magic users do - use their powers to create convenient shortcuts for themselves.

 

“The stone, if you’ll please.”

 

Steve starts, briefcase banging into his knees. Ignoring the stinging sensation, he places the case onto the nearest flat surface and pops the locks open. As he pulls the green stone out, he hesitates a moment.

 

It’s barely a second but it makes the Ancient One stiffen. He immediately hands the stone over, not wanting there to be any misunderstandings.

 

“Before I go, I was wondering if I could ask you some questions.”

 

“About?” they ask they return the stone to its place.

 

“Timelines. Alternate realities.”

 

 

> Jump 0005

One last kiss to close this chapter of his life. Steve smiles down at Peggy, exhales slowly and lets the last of his regrets go. There’s tears sparkling in her eyes but happiness as well. It’s closure for both of them. The song comes to an end. The needle skips softly.

 

When he’d visited Peggy after waking up, she’d told him that she’d wanted him to move on. At the time, he’d resisted the idea. It’d felt like a betrayal to her, to Bucky, to everyone in his past. But he’s grown to understand that all of them would want him to be happy. Peggy especially. She’d said as much.

 

This...his choice to see her in 1970? He does it to reassure her that he survives. He’ll survive the ice, the future, alien armies, and the end of the world. He hopes to give her closure earlier than she’d gotten it in his timeline.

 

They stand in the foyer facing each other. Peggy watches him fiddle with his time-travel GPS and asks, “Where will you go now? Back to your time?”

 

Steve shakes his head.

 

Peggy’s eyebrows go up in surprise. “Don’t they need you there?”

 

“No. Not really. They can get by without me.”

 

“Where will you go then?”

 

“I don’t know.” Steve grins reassuringly at her. “Don’t worry about me. I might not know where I’m going, but I know who I’m going to.”

 

 

> Jump 0019

It’s surprising how many other realities are out there where they’re superheroes. Steve’s not sure why that’s so surprising to him. After fighting off an alien invasion, you’d think something like that wouldn’t be surprising, right?

 

In this earth, 616 they called it, Tony is almost as tall as Steve and has sparkling blue eyes. They burn with wonder and curiosity when Steve explains he’s travelling through different realities looking for someone.

 

“Anyone I might know?” Tony asks.

 

Steve drinks in the sight of Tony and realizes, he prefers Tony’s eyes to be brown. “Maybe.”

 

 

> Jump 0049

A female Tony Stark, Steve learns, is just as bad as a male Tony Stark any given day of the week. Maybe even more.

 

Her husband, Steve, looks at her with absolute fondness and love when he tells her, “We can’t keep him.”

 

“But-” she starts to whine but Steve whispers something in her ear that turns her pout into a contemplative smile. “Really? You promise?”

 

“Yep.”

 

“Deal,” Natasha pushes up to her tiptoes to kiss Steve’s chin.

 

It’s strange and it’s wonderful.

 

He’d envy his counterpart if he wasn’t looking for a Tony to settle down with as well.

 

 

> Jump 00161

This Tony flirts like his life depends on it. He calls Steve darling and seems to have a martini glued to his hand. His hair is cut shorter than any other Tony Steve’s met so far.

 

He also has the saddest eyes.

 

When Steve asks why, Tony laughs bitterly and finishes off his drink.

 

“You died.”

 

 

> Jump 0187

In this reality, everyone’s soul has an animal representative. Daemon’s they call them. Steve’s daemon is is a lioness. She peers up at him and sighs in relief. “I’m glad at least _you_ realize you love Tony. That’s more than what I can say for _my_ Steve. He’s still in denial about the whole thing.”

 

 

> Jump 0200

There’s too many realities where they’ve given up their lives. To save the world. To save the galaxy. To save each other.

 

There’s fifty jumps straight where he goes into realities where there’s only one of them. Tony exposed himself to some virus to save Steve. He took a shot that was meant for Steve and died in front of a courthouse. Carol Danvers and Tony fought and Tony didn’t make it. Steve pushed Tony out of the way and got the full brunt of a bomb blast. Steve died in the ice. Howard hit Tony too hard. Tony drank too much. Steve was too fatalistic.

 

 

> Jump 0261

He stops to throw up in a dumpster because it’s too much. Too much pain, too much longing, too much hurt.

 

 

> Jump 0262

There’s a reality where Tony Stark is a villain.

 

 

> Jump 0290

There’s a reality where Steve’s HYDRA.

 

 

> Jump 0313

“I get it,” Tony tells him as he takes the kettle off the stove.

 

His eyes are brown, like his Tony’s. But he’s older, so much older. It’s a world where Tony was the sole survivor of the battle against Thanos. He wears his guilt like a crown of thorns.

 

“If it wasn’t for the tumor in my brain, I’d be dimension hopping looking for Steve too.”

 

This is interesting to note as well because in all the realities he’s seen, Tony’s unusually devoted to him. It fills him with warmth as much as it makes his heart sink.

 

If there’s so many worlds where Tony Stark loves him, then how come _his_ Tony never did?

 

 

> Jump 0329

“He probably felt like he didn’t deserve you,” Antonia Stark tells him. She turns to her twin brother, meeting his inscrutable gaze before continuing. “That’s how we feel about our Steve.”

 

 

> Jump 0330

“It never occurred to me that you’d be interested in me that way,” Tony murmurs through the oxygen mask.

 

Tony closes his eyes as a wet cough rattles through his fragile frame. Steve's in the perfect position to see the agony roll through Tony  _and_ over Stephanie Rogers eternally youthful face.

 

It seems that it never occurred to  _her_ either that Tony might be interested in her.

 

> Jump 0331

“I can’t think of any world where I wouldn’t love you,” five year old Tony Stark firmly declares as he tugs his Bucky Bear under his arm before he reaches up for Steve's hand. "You're Cap!"

 

 

> Jump 0387

“Why didn’t _you_ ever make a move?”

 

Steve stares into his coffee mug and sighs, shoulders bowing under the admission. “I didn’t think... he... you... there was Pepper. They'd been together for years. It didn't...And I never realized...”

 

“You never realized how you felt about him until it was too late?” his older counterpart shrewdly inquires.

 

A lump grows in his throat until it’s hard to breath. It brings tears to his eyes. Steve takes a quick sip of the too hot liquid to hide them. Across the table, the older Steve sighs. “Yeah... I’ve been there myself.”

 

 

> Jump 0390

“I’ve loved you all my life,” Tony sighs tiredly on the other side of the jailroom. “You knew that. And you used it against me to stop me from... Anyways. It doesn’t matter. You’ve won. I hope it was worth it.”

 

 

> Jump 0399

“He died in Afghanistan,” Tony tells him, keeping his voice low so that Eddie won’t overhear them. Steve personally doesn’t think Tony needs to be that careful. The kid seems more interested in the movie playing on the TV but he’s just a visitor. “He went on a second tour with Bucky...you know Bucky?”

 

Steve nods, dread gathering in his stomach when Tony’s pained gaze drops to the floor.

 

“They were ambushed by some local terrorists...” He shakes his head with a tired sigh. Tony scrubs his face with his hand, gold ring glinting. “They never had a chance. I found out about it a week after the fact. It’s been me and Eddie ever since.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Steve whispers, reaching across the table to squeeze Tony’s hand.

 

A bittersweet expression blooms on Tony’s face. “I got a lot of good years with him at least. And Eddie's old enough to have a lot of good memories of Steve. I just wish...”

 

With an exhale, Steve says, “Yeah. I know what you mean.”

 

 

> Jump 0415

It’s a perfectly normal world where he runs into Tony in the middle of the street. It’s like something out of those romcom movies Thor loved watching. He sees the spark of interest in Tony’s eyes and feels his lips turn up hopefully in response.

 

Is this it?

 

Can he stay here?

 

\--

 

In this reality, on this earth, there’s no superheroes or villains. Tony Stark is the CEO of his own little green energy company called Resilient. Pepper and Happy Hogan are married. Rhodey’s still in the Air Force and he’s dating Carol.

 

Life is quiet and simple. Idyllic even. Steve digs as deep as he can to find out where his counterpart is, what’s Tony’s life has been like, and he’s surprised to realize that he doesn’t exist here and that Tony’s life has mostly been quiet.

 

It feels too good to be true but Steve’s not going to look a gift horseshoe in the mouth.

 

\--

 

He gets a job.

 

He gets an apartment.

 

He teases Tony every morning as he walks into the diner for his daily dose of coffee. Nick rolls his eyes and tells Steve to ask Stark out already. Steve tells him he’s got a plan okay? He’s working on it.

 

“Before I die of old age please,” Nick snarks back.

 

\--

 

Even though Steve takes some time to gather his courage before asking Tony out, he still makes it clear that he’s head over heels for Tony.

 

Unfortunately for him, Tony’s as obtuse as a brick.

 

Pepper tells him, “You’re going to have to smack him over the head with the fact. He doesn’t ever get any hints.”

 

“But I spent my whole day off helping him fix up his apartment,” Steve pleads, _whines_ even. “You wouldn’t just do that for _anyone_!”

 

“He thinks you’re impossibly perfect and sweet, yes. But not that you’re in love with him. Sorry.”

 

\--

 

He decides to hell with it one morning.

 

Tony’s reaching over the counter to grab the coffee pot when Steve decides enough’s enough. He’s wasted one lifetime hiding his feelings for Tony. He’s not going to waste another. Right as Tony makes a triumphant noise, Steve curls his fingers into Tony’s blazer and pulls him in for a kiss.

 

Their noses bump together, their teeth clack painfully, and Steve hears the coffee splash against the floor more than he feels it. He applies pressure, eyes squeezed shut, before pulling away with a smack.

 

Tony’s glasses are askew, his blazer is rumpled, and he looks like a fucking mess.

 

“I like you, you fucking moron,” Steve tells the brunet far too loudly. “When’re you gonna get that?”

 

\--

 

The town throws them a party.

 

 _A party_.

 

Steve hides his face in Tony’s shoulder, mostly because this is embarrassing but also it’s too sweet and he doesn’t know how to deal with it. Tony rubs his back and teases Nick, “You broke my boyfriend and I only just got him!”

 

\--

 

A lifetime ago, Steve would stick his head into Tony’s lab and think, this is the heart of who Tony Stark is. This lab is his safe haven, a place where Tony could be himself.

 

But when he lies in bed on his side, watching Tony doze off again because it’s Sunday and there’s no work to be done, breakfast can turn into brunch, and they’d kissed and kissed and kissed while touching each other in the pre-dawn hours, Steve realizes how wrong he was before.

 

This, this is the real Tony. With his disheveled hair and scruffy beard, his sleep hoarse voice and almost smiles when Steve jokes about staying in bed all day. Steve could spend years like this. Sharing a bed with Tony.

 

“We _could_ ,” Tony’s saying, eyes still closed, “but then Nick’ll be sad that he lost his best guy at the diner and come looking. And I don’t know about you but I don’t want Fury to see us naked and in bed.”

 

His heart has never felt this full.

 

\--

 

He still has nightmares. But he never tells Tony about them. How can he?

 

How do you explain to your boyfriend that you’re from another earth, another timeline, another _reality_ , where you used to be a superhero and you left that world because the thought of a future without him in it was too much for you to bear?

 

But nightmares. He has them.

 

And one fateful night, he winds up hurting Tony accidentally. Steve headbutts Tony and pins him to the bed before he realizes what he’s doing.

 

Tony sports a black eye for days and Steve hides in shame in his apartment. Tony knows he’s served in the army. He’s known that Steve has PTSD. But this is the first time he’s _hurt_ Tony.

 

Steve’s drowning in depression when he hears a sharp tap. He looks away from the canned soup he’s planning to have for lunch, wondering what was that sound. It seems to be coming from the balcony doors.

 

He opens one door and a small pebble sails into his living room. Somewhere below, a familiar voice curses, “Crap.”

 

Tony?

 

Steve steps out and leans over the railing. Tony’s standing there, face lighting up in a grin when he sees Steve. Happiness radiates off Tony. He looks at Steve like Steve's the best thing he's ever seen. Neurosis, secrets, hypocrisy and all.

 

Steve doesn’t understand how he got so lucky. But he's not stupid enough to stop and question it either.

 

He sighs, dropping to his elbows on the railing as he asks Tony, “You couldn’t ring the doorbell?”

 

\--

 

Steve honestly forgets he had a life before coming to this wonderfully peaceful town of Stars Hollow. Sometimes, days will pass by before he’ll remember that he hasn’t always lived here. That once upon a time, he was Captain America.

 

Now, he’s simple Steve Rogers, Mayor of Stars Hollow and partial owner of Nick’s Diner. He’s been dating Tony Stark, resident eccentric billionaire and engineering genius for over two years now. His best friends are Clint and Sam, Natasha and Pepper. He’s a regular guy with a regular job living a regular life.

 

It’s amazing. Made more so when Tony agrees to marry him.

 

\--

 

They exchange their vows at the gazebo. The whole town attends. Steve’s the first person to cry. He doesn’t stop crying until Sam tells them they’re Mr. and Mr. Stark-Rogers.

 

Steve never knew it was possible to be _dizzy_ with happiness. But he presses his forehead against Tony’s and grins so hard his cheeks hurt, hanging onto his _husband_ and feeling like the luckiest person alive.

 

\--

 

For all the good days they have together, there’s also the bad days. Ones where Steve remembers the weight of Tony’s dead body in his arms as he carries him off the battlefield. The sight of him smiling so warmly at Pepper before they kiss. The friends that he left behind.

 

He turns his face into Tony’s soft touch and shakes his head when Tony asks, “Do you want to talk about it?”

 

Instead, he turns around and clings to Tony. Steve focuses on Tony, the hitch of his breath, the way his chest rises and falls, the way his fingers are tracing shapes into Steve’s back. He uses every little detail to will the bad memories away.

 

He gets to have this, in this lifetime, with this Tony.

 

It’s okay to have this.

 

\--

 

And then, a miracle happens.

 

\--

 

It happens on a Wednesday night - date night.

 

Steve’s in the kitchen making sure everything’s cooking fine when he hears the front door open. Tina, their extra cuddly ragdoll cat, lifts her head off her paws with a soft _mrow?_ She drops down the cat tree and toddles towards the front door as Tony drops his keys into the bowl by the door.

 

“Babe, watch out for Tina! She’s heading your way.”

 

The bell around her collar jingles softly and Tony grunts. “Fuck. You’re heavy.”

 

“You don’t say that to a lady,” Steve jokes, ducking down to check on the mac and cheese he’s got in the oven. It’s not fancy but he’s finally perfected the recipe. And it happens to be Tony’s favorite dish. The cheese is bubbling sluggishly at the corners; it’s coming along nicely.

 

Satisfied, Steve turns to put the finishing touches on the rest of the meal. As he turns to give the salad one last toss, he hears Tony’s shoes scuff against the floor as he walks over. Steve meanwhile, keeps talking.

 

“By the way, did you meet Angie? She said she wanted to talk to you about setting up a booth for the annual carnival or something. I told her you weren’t interested but she seemed hell bent on talking to you herself. Did you get-”

 

Steve glances over at the doorway and stops midsentence. Tony's standing still, face pale and eyes wide. He looks like he can't believe what he's seeing. He looks shell shocked.

 

Steve puts the spoons down and hurries towards Tony in alarm, wondering aloud, “Tony? Honey? What’s wrong? What happened?”

 

There’s wonder and alarm in Tony’s big brown eyes as he looks up at Steve. He’s looking at Steve like...like...like it’s the first time. Like he’s never seen Steve before. Steve touches Tony’s face with the back of his hand, frowning when he doesn’t find a fever.

 

But the feverish light in Tony’s eyes burns brighter when he breathes out, “Steve?”

 

“Yeah. It’s me. What’s going on? Are you okay?”

 

He’s about to run through a list of things that could have gone wrong when Tony grips his arms. It’s too tight and desperate. “Is it really you Cap?”

 

It’s like being hit in the head with a chair, hearing that nickname after almost a decade. Steve would have taken a step back if Tony hadn’t been keeping him in place.

 

“H-how do you...know that?” Steve stammers, not sure what’s going on when the light in Tony’s eyes changes to something more brilliant.

 

“I remember. I remember _everything_ ,” Tony breathes out, hands running up Steve’s arms. “I don’t know _how_ but I _remember_ . Iron Man, the Avengers, _Thanos_.”

 

His knees turn to water and Steve goes tumbling down. Tony falls down with him with a surprised yelp. He winds up half in Steve’s lap, one arm around the blond’s shoulders. Back on her perch, Tina pauses mid lick to stare at them before resuming her bath.

 

Tony blinks in surprise, “That’s not the reaction I was expecting.”

 

“How?” Steve rasps, not sure if he’s allowed to touch _this_ Tony.

 

“I don’t know,” Tony shakes his head, settling more comfortably across Steve’s lap. “I got a better question for you actually. Did you _seriously_ check out _hundreds_ of timelines and realities before deciding to stick around in this one? For _me_?”

 

His first reaction is to wince at the question. But then he _processes_ it; the way Tony asks it. Like he can’t believe Steve would do that for _him_. Steve peeks up at Tony and sees that awe reflected in Tony’s face.

 

Steve nods slowly. “I did.”

 

“ _Why_?” Tony asks with the smallest of head shakes. “Why would you do that?”

 

“Isn’t it obvious? I loved you. I couldn’t...I didn’t want to be in a world where you weren’t there.”

 

“You loved me? Even back then?” Tony presses a hand to Steve’s cheek and makes their eyes meet. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

 

He closes his eyes. Steve tips his head forward to rest against Tony’s shoulder. Hides from the truth he never thought he'd be forced to admit.

 

“I didn’t...I _couldn’t_ do that to you and Pepper. I knew you’d never pick me.”

 

“You _idiot_ ,” Tony swears, lips warm against Steve’s ear. His hands tangle in Steve 's hair. “I’d have done anything if you if you’d just asked.”

 

His heart races inside of his chest. The _fierceness_ of Tony’s declaration gives Steve the courage to pull back and meet Tony’s gaze again.

 

“Even leave Pepper? If I’d have told you...”

 

“Yeah,” Tony traces the shape of Steve’s beard with curious fingertips. “Fuck, Cap. I’ve looked up to you all my life. Loved you for just about as long. I never thought...I never even _dreamed_ you’d feel the same way about me.”

 

A sob catches in his chest, making Steve hiccup. He presses his hand on Tony’s chest, where his arc reactor used to be. “I’ve felt that way from the start.”

 

“Fuck. _Fuck_!” Tony curses, desperate hands grabbing at Steve’s face. “That’s so much wasted time! We could have...”

 

Shaking his head, Steve darts forward to press their lips together in a quick kiss. It does the job of stunning Tony into silence. “Don’t. That’s the way that timeline was supposed to go. It’s...Here. This place? This is our second chance. Together.”

 

Tony surges forward, fingers digging into Steve’s shoulders, hair, sides as they kiss and kiss and kiss, first with desperation, then longing, and finally, a tenderness so soft it brings tears to Steve’s eyes. They pull apart with a soft noise.

 

Tony’s tear bright eyes glimmer. His grin is shaky at the edges but it’s so damn warm. “I can’t believe you found me.”

 

“I’ll always find you Tony. I promised you didn’t I? Together.”

 

“Together,” Tony breathes out with a delighted grin. “Yeah.”


End file.
